Helical scan VTR tape deck with resiliently mounted scanning assembly

ABSTRACT

A support for use in connection with a tape deck wherein the tape scanning, tape guidance, and tape transport devices are mounted on a plate separate from the plate on which the storage/delivery spools and associated driving motors are mounted. The interconnection of the plates is accomplished by means which restrain the transfer of torsional forces from the plate containing the spools to the plate containing the scanning, guidance, and transport devices.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates a support for use in connection with tape decks; devices used for recording and/or reproduction of information using a magnetic tape or similar vehicle. The invention relates more particularly to supports for devices associated with physically handling the tape passed a scanning device such as a recording or play-back head. These elements normally consist at least of a scanning device or recording/play-back head, tape guidance devices, tape, transportation devices and storage spools or reels for the tape along with associated driving devices.

Recording and reproduction devices, in particular those used for video magnetic tape recording and reproduction, require great precision and accuracy in the relative location of the various individual components with respect to each other. Particularly critical is the relative location of the scanning device, such as head wheels used for diagonal scanning techniques, and the guidance elements for the tape in the immediate vicinity of the head wheel or other magnetic reproduction/recording device. It is for this reason that the scanning devices in known apparatus of this type, are constructed as compactly as possible.

To ensure the highest quality reproduction or recording, the various tape storage, guidance, transportation and recording devices are maintained in precise physical relation to each other normally by mounting the entire system on as stable a base plate as possible. Relatively heavy and expensive forms of construction for the base plate are normally resorted to, in order to obtain the necessary dimensional stability.

It is a principal object of the instant invention to reduce the construction costs and weight of a support device by dividing the base plate into two sections; one section supporting the stored spools and a second section supporting the scanning device and tape guidance and transport devices. It has been found that the relative positioning of the tape scanning device to the tape guidance and transport devices is considerable more critical than the relative positioning and stability of the positioning of the scanning device and the storage spools. By dividing the base plate into two base plates, the base plate supporting the tape scanning, tape guidance, and tape transport devices may be heavily or more rigidly constructed than the base plate carrying the storage/delivery spools and its associated driving motors.

In the preferred embodiment, the smaller base plate containing the tape scanning, tape guidance, and tape transport devices is mounted in a recessed or cut out portion of a larger base plate supporting the storage/delivery spools. The two base plates are interconnected with bearings which restrain the transmission of torsional deforming forces from the larger base plate carrying the storage/delivery spools, to the smaller base plate carrying the scanning, guidance, and transport devices

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following specification and in part will be obvious therefrom without being specifically referred to, the same being reallized and attained as pointed in the claims hereof.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

With the above and other objects of the invention in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of various devices, elements and parts, as set forth in the claims hereof, one embodiment of the same being illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in the specification.

The invention accordingly comprises features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in a construction hereinafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a tape deck showing the instant invention;

FIG. 2 is a large scale fragmentary sectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In carrying the invention into effect in one of the embodiments which has been selected for illustration in the accompanying drawings and for description in the specification, and referring now particularly to FIG. 1, a first base plate 1 is shown with a scanning device 2, guide rollers 3 to 9, additional magnetic heads 10 and 11 and a movable tension controlling levers 12 and 13 mounted thereon. Storage and delivery spools 14 and 15 are mounted on a second base plate 16. The associated motors and electronics of the device are not shown, for the sake of simplicity.

The first base plate 1 and the second base plate 16 are interconnected with three bearings 36, 37, 38 which bearings are shown in detail in the FIGS. 2-4.

As shown in FIG. 1, the second base plate 16 has a framework-like structure and is suspended pivotably in a housing 17 by the shaft 18. This allows the bottom side of the driving unit to be easily reached for service or maintenance purposes. The control panel 19 is housed in the housing 17 and contains the electronic components, not illustrated.

The bearings 36, 37 and 38 have slightly varying constructions as shown in the FIGS. 2-4. The portions of the bearings secured to the second base plate is in the form of cone shaped sockets 31, 33, 34 which support balls 28, 29, and 30 respectively partially disposed therein. The first base plate 1 has depressions or sockets formed therein for receiving the balls 28, 29, and 30. The bearing 36, which is designed to transmit linear forces in one direction only from the second base plate 16 to the first base plate 1 requires a substantially rectangular socket in the first base plate 1 with two sockets supported substantially parallel to each other and at such a distance apart from each other that the balls are partially supported by them, respectively. The conical socket 33 is secured to the second base plate 16 through a threaded rod 35 and a spring 35'.

The bearing 37 has a construction similar to the bearing 36, except that the socket 34 is directly secured to the second base plate 16 and not through a spring. This allows the bearing to transmit linear forces from the second base plate 16 to the first base plate 1, in two directions. The bearing 38 requires a spherically symmetrical socket 21 to be formed or secured to the first base plate 1. This combination allows the bearing 38 to transmit linear forces in all three directions, from the second base plate 16 to the first base plate 1.

Operation

The operation of the above described embodiment of the invention is as follows:

The construction of the bearings 36, 37, 38 prevents the torsional forces which may develop in the second base plate 16 from being transferred to the first base plate 1. Linear forces, which do not effect the dimensional stability of the first base plate 1, can be transferred through the bearings as noted above. As can be seen, the bearing 38 can transfer linear motion in all three directions as neither the socket 31 nor the socket 21 will permit the ball 28 to move linearly without moving both sockets 21 and 31. The bearing 37 contains two rollers 40 and 41 in the socket 22. These permit the relative motion of the ball 29 back and forth as shown in FIG. 3, to the left and right, without moving the base plate 1. Linear motion in the other two directions, in and out of the plane of the drawing and up and down, with reference to FIG. 3, will be transferred to the base plate 1. The bearing 36 is similar to the bearing 37, except that up and down motion with reference to FIG. 3 will be at least partially smoothed by the helical spring 35' and threaded rod 35 supporting the spring 35'. The removal of threaded rod 35 will allow disassembly of the base plates from each other.

This arrangement, as noted above, permits the use of a relatively lighter second base plate 16, on which the motors and take-up/delivery spools or tape reels are mounted and the use of a first base plate, smaller in size but of substantially more rigid construction, on which the tape heads and related components can be mounted. The costs of materials used for construction and the weight of the finished device, is substantially lessened by employing the instant invention.

I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. 

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to be secured by Letters Patent, is as follows:
 1. In a tape deck having tape scanning, tape guidance, and tape transport means, for recording onto or retrieving information from, a magnetic tape; and storage/delivery spools with associated driving motors for delivering the tape to the scanning, guidance and transport means, and for storing the tape;the improvement comprising: a first base plate supporting the tape scanning, tape guidance and tape transport means thereon; a second base plate separate from said first base plate supporting the storage/delivery spools and associated driving motors therein; and mounting means interconnecting said base plates and including yieldably resilient means, whereby torsional deforming forces of said second base plate are restrained from being transmitted to said first base plate.
 2. In a tape deck, as claimed in claim 1, said yieldably resilient means insulating said first base plate from any twisting deformation force in said second base plate.
 3. In a tape deck, as claimed in claim 1, said mounting means including three bearings.
 4. In a tape deck, as claimed in claim 3, said bearing forming part of said yieldably resilient means and being operable to absorb torsional forces but at least partially to transmit linear forces,one of said bearings being operable to transmit linear forces in all three directions, a second bearing being operable to transmit linear forces in only two directions; and the third bearing being operable to transmit linear forces in only one direction.
 5. In a tape deck, as claimed in claim 4, wherein said second base plate defines a recessed portion operable to receive said first base plate; andsaid first base plate is disposed at least partially within said recessed portion.
 6. In a tape deck, as claimed in claim 5, said one bearing comprising: a first member secured to said second base plate and defining a first conically shaped socket therein; a first ball, said first socket being operable to receive and support, partially, said first ball; and a second member secured to said first base plate and defining a substantially spherically symmetrical socket operable to receive and support, partially, said first ball;said second bearing comprising a third member secured to said second base plate and defining a conically shaped second socket therein; a second ball, said second socket being operable to receive and support, partially, said second ball; and a fourth member secured to said first base plate, including two rollers and defining a substantially rectangular socket operable to support said two rollers substantially parallel to each other and spaced apart a predetermined distance to partially support said second ball; and said third bearing comprising a fifth member defining a third conically shaped socket therein, and a resilient securing means operable to secure said fifth member to said second base plate with resiliency with respect to one direction of motion; a third ball, said third socket being operable to receive and support, partially, said third ball; and a sixth member secured to said first base plate, including two rollers and defining a substantially rectangular socket operable to support said two rollers substantially parallel to each other and spaced apart a predetermined distance to partially support said third ball.
 7. In a tape deck, as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a housing, said second plate being pivotally suspended from said housing. 